HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

**Definition:** This place covers:

Handling aspects of general interest relating to thin material in the form of "separate articles" such as sheets, signatures, envelopes, blanks, cards and thin piles thereof.

Handling aspects of general interest relating to thin material in the form of "continuous articles" such as webs, tapes and films.

Filamentary material such as threads, wires, ropes, cables and hoses, and cover only methods or devices of general application or interest.

The coverage of the subclass can generally be divided into:

Sheets

Feeding to processes:

Feeding from processes:

Particular handling processes or apparatus therefor:

Relating both to sheet and/or web handling aspects:

Webs:

Feeding out, taking up:

Particular handling processes or apparatus therefor:

Relating both to sheet and/or web handling aspects:

Filamentary material:

**Glossary:** - Package: A mass of filamentary material, formed by coiling, depositing, or winding, with or without a supporting core or former or an enclosing container or receptacle. - Handling: Separating, orientating/positioning, feeding, gathering, collecting, storing, folding (other than in the manufacture of products), unwinding, and winding. - Filamentary material: Includes thread, wires, ropes, cables, and hoses. - Thin material: Sheets, signatures, envelopes, blanks, and thin piles thereof (hereinafter referred to as "articles"), and webs, tapes, and films, e.g. of paper, fabric, metal foil, or plastics.